2011 Introductions

This year I'm introducing two varieties from a new goal: Tall and Small Reds and Purples.

But before I get into that, first let me remind you of the Clump Photo Contest! Free Intros as Prizes!  Only two people have remembered to enter so far: lots more can win.

As a small-scale breeder, I don't introduce a fixed number each year: I introduce only the exceptional. And I have to wait until I have a supply. That would take a long time in my poor garden: I'm indebted to Bob Sobek, Martin Kamensky, Mike Derrow, and Carl & Marlene Harmon for increasing my seedlings.

Red Spire (Saxton 96)

I've been inspired by H. A. Fischer's hybridizing of tall and small flowers such as Corky and Golden Chimes. These have graceful, swaying scapes with lots of branches and buds and extraordinary plant characteristics. Unfortunately, he stopped about 40 years ago, and stayed in yellows.  Stanley Saxton led the way into red tall-and-small with the extraordinary (but slow to increase and scarce) Red Spire.  Bob Sobek has also worked on height, branching, color clarity, and sunfastness of reds and purples.  I'm combining the Saxton and Sobek efforts to continue the tall-and-small theme into reds and purples and bring the flower colors and forms into more modern and diverse directions.

My tall-and-small Red Spire breeding in reds and red-purples has a naming theme based on 'blood'.  I'm introducing these because not only are they exceptional garden plants, but they are excellent breeders passing on intense, clear colors, strong sunfastness, excellent increase, height and good branching.